Interreligious dialogue

In the spotlight: Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, interreligious dialogue, Houston tornado damage

Welcoming a delegation of Cambodian Buddhists to the Vatican Jan. 19, the pope called for “dialogue at all levels” to seek solutions for repairing the broken relationship between humanity and nature.

Pope Francis is the first pope to visit this archipelago nation in the Persian Gulf, where the highlights will be meeting the small, predominantly expatriate Christian community and promoting the importance of interreligious dialogue.

As the church prepares to commemorate the World Day of Migrants and Refugees in September, Pope Francis launched a video campaign meant to highlight the spiritual and cultural contributions that migrants bring to people’s lives.

Christianity and Judaism, the pope told the group, both “bid us address disagreements, differences and conflicts, not in a confrontational way, but without prejudice, with peaceful intentions and with the aim of finding areas of agreement acceptable to all.”

Kazakhstan’s president was aware that the newly created bishops’ conference meeting was held during the yearlong observance of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and the Holy See.

The meeting between the pope and Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow planned for June has been canceled out of concern it could cause “confusion,” and there will be no papal visit to Kyiv while war rages.

Pope Francis paid tribute to Iraqi Christians martyred in recent times by extremists purporting to act in the name of Islam.